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Little Penguin

The little penguin is the world’s smallest penguin! Its petite size and blueish feathers have earned it a variety of nicknames, including little blue penguin and fairy penguin.

 

Little penguins are found along the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, where they inhabit rocky shorelines, forests, and savannas — although most of their time is spent out at sea. Unlike most penguins, their feathers are an indigo-blue on the back and wings, with a white, grey, or brown belly — giving them a softer appearance compared to the stark black-and-white pattern seen in many other penguin species. Adults typically stand just 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) tall and weigh just over 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds).

These penguins are excellent swimmers, using their flippers to “fly” through the water while hunting small fish, octopus, squid, and crustaceans. They often spend their days at sea, returning to land under the cover of darkness. They live in colonies and dig burrows in sand or vegetation, or shelter beneath rocks and caves. Little penguins form strong pair bonds, with both parents sharing responsibilities for nesting and chick care.

 

 

Due to their small size, both chicks and adults are left vulnerable to predators — both on land and in the water — such as sharks, seals, and orcas, as well as introduced species like dogs, cats, and weasels.

Little penguins also face a range of threats from human disturbance, including introduced predators, coastal development, entanglement in fishing gear, and oil spills. Warming oceans can also lead to pressures on breeding and a reduction in successful foraging of prey.

 

 

Conservation measures can be beneficial for little penguins, leading to  population increases as seen in different parts of Australia and New Zealand. Continued efforts to protect this species and its habitat are likely very important for their survival. Additionally, measures to stop the acceleration of the climate crisis are key to ensuring these penguins have enough to eat and can raise healthy chicks. Oceana campaigns to protect our climate by stopping offshore drilling as well as to rebuild healthy and abundant oceans so that ocean life around the world can recover and thrive.

 

 

  • Animal Diversity Web 
  • IUCN Red List 
  • Hadden, P.W., Gerneke, D.A., Mcghee, C.N.J., et al. (2020). Micro‐computed tomography orbital anatomy of the little blue or fairy penguin, Eudyptula minor. Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology 48: 130. 

 

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